Pipe spinning tong



y 4, 1953 v c; A. LUNDEEN 2,645,460

PIPE SPINNING TONG Filed 001;. 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVIENTOR CHESTER A. LUNDE EN BY ATTORNE S 2 Sheets-She et 2 Filed 00$. 7 1946 VII/mill?! INVENTOR CHESTER A UNDEEN Y f$fl ATTORN YS Patented July 14, 1953 PIPE SPINNING TONG Chester A. Lundeen, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Byron Jackson 00;, Vernon, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application October 7, 1946, Serial No. 701,786 7 Claims. (01. 255-45) 1 7 My invention relates to pipe spinning tongs and is particularly concerned with oil drilling devices designed to engage and spin one stand of pipe into or from threaded engagement with another stand of pipe such as a lower stand, secured in the slips of a rotary table Included in the objects of my invention are: First: To provide a pipe spinning tong, wherein the gripping force isprop'ortional to the torque applied to the stand of pipe by the tong, so that irrespective of the resistance to rotation, there is an adequate gripping force sufficient to prevent slippage of the devices which engage and rotate the pipe.

Second: To provide a pipe spinning tong which, in proportion to its functions, is relatively simple of construction and easily operated.

Third: To provide a pipe spinning tong which, though incorporating meansfor automatic spin- 'ning the stand of pipe, is so constructed that it may be handled in the manner of a conventional tong, that is, the tong may be readily and quickly fitted about the stand of pipe and latched or as readily unlatched and removed therefrom.

With the above and other objects in view, as

may appear hereinafter, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a plan view ofone formof my pipe spinning tong;

Figure 2 is anenlarged fragmentary plan view thereof, with portions of the tong arms broken away and removed to show the pipe spinning mechanism;

, Figure 3 ma side elevation of the pipe spinning confronting complementary recesses 3 and 4,

journal pin 1' to the toggle lever 6. The lever 6 continues. outwardly from the journal pins to form an arm 8.

-The opposite ends of the tong arm frames I and 2 are adapted to be joined by a latch and keeper means 9 in the manner of conventional pipe tongs. The arrangement of the toggle lever 6 and its journal pins are such that pivotal movement of the toggle lever expands or contracts the tong arm frames about a stand of pipe within the recesses 3 and 4. r

The tongarm frame 2 is provided with an idle roller I 0, which projects into its recesses4 to engage a stand of pipe therein. Theroller H! is mounted on a shaft I I, which serves to space the two plates, which comprise the tong arm. The tong arm I is provided with a pair of drive wheels I2 and I3, having serrated peripheries, which extend intothe recess 3 for driving engagement with a stand of pipe therein.

The points of contact ofthe idle roller I 0 and drive wheels I2 and I3 are preferably displaced approximately 120" about the stand of pipe. The

drive wheels I2 'and I3 are journalled on parallel.

shafts I' l. Thedrive wheel may be split, that is, comprise lower and upper portions separated by a sprocket I5'secured thereto. '7

From the foregoing it will be seen that the arms I and 2 constitute a pair of complementary tong arms adapted to encircle a pipe with the inner ends journaled respectively on the journal pins 5 and I mounted in parallel relation and in longitudinally spaced relation on the toggle lever 5 whereby pivotal movement in a clockwise direction of the toggle with either journal pm as its axis will cause the ends to converge to constrict the arms about a pipe encircled thereby. Thus the toggle lever B constitutes relatively move able means interconnecting the adjacent ends of the arms to vary the spacing of the adjacent ends thereof as the toggle moves relatively thereto.

Located within the boundaries ofth'e tong arms I and 2 intermediate the shafts I4, are idler sprockets I6, I! and I8, so disposed that a chain I9, looped around thesprockets IE to I8, inclusive, is confined within the boundaries of the arms and may be employed to drive the wheels I2 and I3 111' the same direction and in unison.

An additional sprocket 20 is mounted on the shaft I 4 which bears the right hand driving wheel I 3. A chain2I connectsthe sprocket 20 with a drive sprocket 22A, mounted on the journal pin 5 while the chain I9 extends over to encircle a companionsprocket 223. The journal pin 34 is "connected by gears 23 and 26 with in the same direction to rotate the pipe.

.the journal pin 1. The'journal pin 1 serves as a drive shaft and is connected with or constitutes the drive or output shaft of an air motor 25, which is mounted above the toggle 8.

r In the operation of the tong the arms I' and 2 are placed about the pipe in the conventional manner, the latch and keeper means 9 being ,open topermit the outer ends of the arms to pivotally move on their journal pins 5 and 1. After encirclement of the pipe the latch and keeper re-engage the outer ends of the arms to secure such ends against relative separation after the tong has been placed about the pipe. Thereafter the movable member constituted by the toggle 6 is moved pivotally with respect to the journal pin 5 or i to constrict the inner ends of the arms about the pipe encircled thereby thus causing the driving wheels l2 and I3 to engage such pipe. The air motor 25 is then operated to drive the journal pin 1 and gears 23 and 24 to impart motion to the chains 19 and 2| which constitutes a reactive drive means.

The chain 21 encircling the drive sprocket 22A on journalpin 5 delivers its share of the reactive drive to sprocket 28 while the drive chain lilencircles sprocket 22B and delivers its share of driving force to the Wheels I2 and it by engaging sprockets i5 thus inducing rotation thereof The thrust of such wheels is of course received by the interengagement of the pipe with the idle roller 10. It will be appreciated that in the operation of the device ,the' relation of parts is such that once rotational torque is applied to the pipe to be rotated opposite rotational tendency is induced in the relatively movable interengaging toggle. Such reactive drive causes the tong arms to contract with respect to each other and thereby grip the pipe with a force propor tional to the torque applied to the pipe.

Although I have shown and described What is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that various modifications may be made therein, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A pipe spinning tong comprising: complementary tong arms adapted to encircle a stand of pipe; wheels carried by said tong arms and engageable with said stand of pipe, at least one of said wheels being a drive wheel; latch means at one extremity of said tong arms joining said arms; toggle means at the other extremity of said tong arms, said to gle means including a lever extending radially outwardly with respect to said stand of pipe, said lever pivotally supporting one of said arms about a first axis spaced radially outwardly from said stand of pipe and said lever pivotally supporting the other of said arms about a second axis spaced radially outwardly from said first aXis; a first rotatable element rotatably mounted on said lever at said first axis and being operatively connected to said drive wheel; and a second rotatable element rotatably mounted on said lever at said second axis, said second'rotatable element being power driven and being operatively connected to said first rotatable element whereby to drivesaid drive wheel, said first and second rotatable elements cooperating to pivot said lever to constrict said tong arms about said stand of pipe. 7

2. A pipe spinning tong comprising: complementary tong arms adapted to encircle a 4 stand of pipe; wheels carried by said tong arms and engageable with said stand of pipe, at least one of said wheels being a drive wheel; latch means at one extremity of said tong arms j0in' ing said arms; toggle means at the other extremity of said ton arms, said toggle means including a lever extending radially outwardly with respect tofsaid stand of pipe; a first shaft pivotally connecting said lever and one of said arms at an axis spaced radially outwardly from said stand of pipe; a second shaft pivotally connecting said lever and the other of said arms at an axis spaced radially outwardly from said first axis; a drive connection between said shafts for I effecting pivotal movement of said lever thereby to expand and contract said tong arms; another drive connection in series with said first drive connection for driving said drive wheel; and power means operatively associated with said first drive connection.

3. A pipe spinning tong comprising: complementary tong arms adapted to encircle a stand of pipe; wheels carried by said tong arms and engageable with said stand of pipe, at least one of said wheels being a drive Wheel; latch means at one extremity of said tong arms joining said arms; toggle means at the other extremity of said ton arms, said toggle means including a lever extending radially outwardly with respect to said stand of pipe; a first shaft pivotally connecting. said lever and one of said arms at an axis spaced radially outwardly from said stand of pipe; a second shaft pivotally connecting said lever and the other of said arms at an axis spaced radially outwardly from said first axis; a first rotatable element mounted on said first shaft and operatively connected to said drive wheel; and a second rotatable element mounted on said secondshaft, said second rotatable element being power driven and being operativelyv connected to said first rotatable element whereby to drive said drive wheel, said first and second rotatable elements being operatively connected and cooperating to pivot said lever and thereby constrict said tong arms about said stand of pipe.

4. A pipe spinning tong comprising: a pair of complementary tong arms adapted to encircle pipe, said arms having relatively movable adjacent ends converging movement of which'will constrict said arms about the pipe encircled thereby; relatively movable means interconnect:- ing said adjacent ends of said arms to vary the spacing of said adjacent ends upon movement of said movable means; pipe rotating means mounted on at least one of said arms for engaging and rotating a pipe encircled by said arms and reactive drive means for said pipe rotating means mounted on said relatively movable means and engaging said pipe rotating means in driving relation whereby the reaction of said pipe rotating mean-s while being driven by said reactive drive means to rotate a pipe within said arms is transmitted through said reactive drive means to said relatively movable means to cause movement of said relatively movable means to converge the adjacent ends of said arms and constrict said able with respect to said arms to vary the spacing of said adjacent ends; pipe rotating means mounted on at least one of said arms for engaging and rotating a pipe encircled by said arms and reactive drive means for said pipe rotating means mounted on said toggle and engaging said pipe rotating means in drivin relation, whereby the reaction of said pipe rotating means while .being driven by said reactive drive means to rotate a pipe Within said arms is transmitted said arms on the pipe proportioned to the torque applied to the pipe by said pipe rotating means.

6. A pipe spinning tong comprising: a pair of complementary tong arms adapted to encircle a pipe, said arms havingrelatively movable adjacent ends converging movement of which will constrict said arms about a pipe encircled thereby, relatively movable means interconnecting said adjacent ends of said arms to vary the spacing of said adjacent ends upon movement of said movable means; a pipe rotating wheel mounted on one of said arms for engaging and rotating a. pipe encircled by said arms; a driven sprocket for said wheel having bearin in said onearm; a drive chain for said wheel encircling said driven sprocket and a driving sprocket engaging said chain and having bearings in said relativelymovable means whereby the reaction of said wheel while being driven by said chain to rotate a pipe within said arms is transmitted through said chain to said relatively movable means to cause movement of said relatively. movable means to converge the adja- "*cent ends of saidarms and constrict said arms about a pipe to apply a gripping force by said arms on the ,pipe proportioned to the torque applied-to the pipe by said wheel.

7. A pipe spinning tong comprising: a pair of 1 complementary tong arms adapted to encircle a pipe and having adjacent ends extending difierent radial distances from the axis of a pipe encircled thereby, convergin movement of said ends being adapted to constrict said ends about a pipe encircled thereby; a toggle including a lever arm extending radially outward from said tong pivotally interconnecting said adjacent ends of said tong arms to vary the spacing of said adjacent ends upon relative pivotal movement of said toggle with respect to said ends; a pipe rotating wheel mounted on one of said tong arms for engaging and rotating a pipe encircled by said tong arms; a driven sprocket for said wheel having bearings on said one arm, a drive chain for said wheel encircling said driven sprocket and a driving sprocket engaging said chain and having bearings in said toggle whereby the reaction of said wheel while being driven by said chain to rotate a pip within said tong arms is transmitted through said chain to said toggle to cause relative pivotal movement of said tong arms with respect to said toggle when the toggle lever arm is held stationary to converge the adjacent ends of said arms and constrict said tong arms about a pipe to apply a gripping force by thet'ong arms on the pipe proportioned to the torque applied to the pipe by said wheel.

'CHES'I'ER A. LUNDEEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

